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The Steve Laube Agency

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The Steve Laube Agency

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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Home » Archives for January 2017

Archives for January 2017

A Book Loved By Everyone Hasn’t Been Written

By Dan Balowon January 31, 2017
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There is no such thing as a book everyone likes and this problem is only magnified if it covers religion, politics, sports or anything else where people are deeply divided.

If you think you are going to write a book, which unites all Christian believers worldwide, you better take a deep breath and realize no matter what you write, you will have detractors.

While the Bible is the Holy Spirit-inspired written “hub” around which all believers unite, it is also a lightning rod of controversy among many Christians. We first argue over specific Bible translations then we get into details about what the Scriptures are trying to tell us regarding various issues. That’s when the real divisions among us reveal themselves.

The assumption of the statement “preaching to the choir” is the churchgoing community is an easily reached, agreeable audience not worth the effort because they are already aboard the train.

It’s a myth.

Christian authors find the better their books sell, they become a bigger target for disagreement and critics. Evidently, some seem to feel if a Christian book sells a lot, it must have something wrong with it theologically.

Some examples from the recent past:

 The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson sold close to ten million copies, but had a number of detractors within the church.

The Shack by William Paul Young sold twenty million copies, but many churches and leaders spoke out against it. Some Christian retailers would not carry it.

The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren sold over thirty million copies, but not every church or Christian leader liked Rick’s approach.

The Left Behind fiction series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins sold over 65 million copies, was criticized for its portrayal of the end times events by various segments of Christianity and theologians.

Name any prominent current best-selling Christian author and there is a list of critics and retailers who will not endorse what is taught and won’t sell their books, respectively.

It is impossible to publish a Christian book accepted by everyone.  So don’t worry about trying to write one. And don’t be disappointed when critics appear.

Good news:  Prominent person has agreed to review your book.

Bad news: They dislike it and are going to tell everyone specifically why on their blog once your book is on sale.

And you were so excited when review copies were finally sent out.

Even though you might be preaching to the choir, you quickly discover not all choirs are singing the same song.

Disagreements about creation to the last words of Revelation occur every day among Christians. (If you want to guarantee really angry responses from readers, quote a lot from the apostle Paul’s writings.)

Marriage roles, money, success, politics, health, race, raising children, worship styles, preaching styles, social justice and the work of the Holy Spirit in one’s life, as well as many other issues can generate polarized responses from within the church community.

Even though we might never directly express it, Christian agents or publishers reject some book proposals because they disagree with the author’s position on some issue. We may say, “This isn’t my cup of tea” or “It’s not part of our current plan,” but sometimes it means, “I disagree with you and want to avoid an argument.”

Christian writers need to understand they are writing controversial material, which will elicit a variety of responses, some angry, from fellow Christians, or at least those identifying themselves as Christian.

Write with eyes wide open to the effect of your words. Be humble enough to acknowledge some may disagree and those critics might not be hell-bound at all.

Not only should you feel deeply about your mission to write, but you should also be prepared for the response, which can be a combination of support, encouragement and kindness, but also anger, discouragement and unkind words, not to mention condemnation.

There will be days you won’t enjoy engaging with your social media. It’s a messy life, this world of ours.

And this doesn’t even begin to address the issue of writing to non-church people.

 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13 NIV)

 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. (1 Peter 3:15 NLT)

 

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Category: Book Review, Reviews, The Publishing Life, The Writing LifeTag: Faith, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life

The Introverted Writer

By Steve Laubeon January 30, 2017
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Here is a question from Trisha: I consider myself a deeply introverted person. I write because I can express myself on paper so much better than in conversational settings. When it comes to getting published, how do you think the personality of the author is weighed in respect to publishers and agents considering an author for publication? In other words, does a more bubbly personality get …

Read moreThe Introverted Writer
Category: Career, Social Media, The Writing LifeTag: Career, Introvert, The Writing Life

Fun Fridays – January 27, 2016

By Steve Laubeon January 27, 2017
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Sometimes humor and parody strike a little too close, but funny nonetheless. Enjoy this very clever send up of how to become a successful Christian music artist!

Read moreFun Fridays – January 27, 2016
Category: Fun Fridays

Comparisons: A Losing Proposition

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon January 26, 2017
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Do not compare one person with another: it is a hateful thing to do. – St. Teresa of Avila I think this is one of the hardest of St. Teresa’s 69 maxims. After all, we make comparisons between others every day. Some are not healthy, such as, “Who is my favorite in-law?” Does it matter? Should you form an opinion to justify treating one person better than another? Or worse, use an unfavorable …

Read moreComparisons: A Losing Proposition
Category: Career, Christian, The Writing LifeTag: Career, The Writing Life

New Year, New First Lines!

By Karen Ballon January 25, 2017
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Are you as stunned as I am that we’re already weeks into 2017? I figure the beginning of an all-new year is a great time to share our all-new first lines! I love seeing what you all are working on, so jump in and share the first line—and ONLY the first line—of your current work in progress. Fiction, nonfiction, children’s book, whatever. Let the sharing begin! Here’s mine: His first breath …

Read moreNew Year, New First Lines!
Category: CreativityTag: Creativity

How Self-Publishing Has Changed Authors

By Dan Balowon January 24, 2017
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As a literary agent, not a day goes by when I don’t encounter the changes in thinking from authors caused by the expansion and availability of self-publishing. It’s understandable, because there are over twice as many books self-published every year in the United States than are published by traditional publishers. Traditional and self-publishing generate over one million new books every …

Read moreHow Self-Publishing Has Changed Authors
Category: Agents, Book Business, Book Proposals, Book Sales, Career, Economics, Get Published, Marketing, Self-Publishing, The Publishing LifeTag: Book Business, Self-Publishing, Traditional Publishing

A Roundup of Some Queries

By Steve Laubeon January 23, 2017
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Periodically we try to show you some of the more unusual things we receive, unsolicited, by our agency. These are by no means all of them (not exhaustive…just exhausting). Just a few to help those who read this blog avoid the same mistakes. Disclaimer: We do not suggest that any of these writers are insincere. In fact it is evident they believe in what they are presenting. But at the same …

Read moreA Roundup of Some Queries
Category: Book ProposalsTag: book proposals, Query Letters

Fun Fridays – January 20, 2017

By Steve Laubeon January 20, 2017
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I’ve said for years that the “separation” between the Christian and the General publishing markets is more of a hedge than a wall. And yet it can still be daunting to traverse.  

Read moreFun Fridays – January 20, 2017
Category: Fun Fridays

Unreliable Statistics

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon January 19, 2017
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Facts can lie…depending on how that are presented or understood. Today I’ll keep this blog post focused on writers choosing a literary agent, based on one question. When choosing a literary agent, authors need to make assessments. Some authors ask agents questions such as, “How many deals did you make last year?” or other questions requiring a response involving some sort of number. …

Read moreUnreliable Statistics
Category: Agents, Book Business, Book Sales, CareerTag: Agents, Book Business

The Seeds of Great Ideas

By Karen Ballon January 18, 2017
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Thanks so much for sharing your tips and sources for ideas last week. What fun to read your thoughts and insights. I’d invite you all to review those comments from time to time, considering if one or more of them might not help you expand the ways you develop ideas. For today, though, I want to encourage you to give something a try, and that’s an Idea Journal. This isn’t a regular journal. It’s …

Read moreThe Seeds of Great Ideas
Category: CreativityTag: Creativity
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